Parental Separation Research Articles

Political socialization, parental separation, and political ideology in adulthood

The increase in divorce rates over the past decades challenges the traditional image of the two-parent family, as new family forms are increasingly more common. Yet, the traditional view of the family has remained central to political socialization research. Therefore, we propose and empirically test a theoretical framework regarding the consequences of parental separation for processes of political socialization. While the impact of parental divorce has been studied extensively by sociologists, the political implications of this impactful life event have remained largely uncovered. We identify two mechanisms that we expect to predict more leftist political orientations in children of separated parents compared to those from intact families: experiences of economic deprivation and single-mother socialization. Multi-level analyses using the European Values Study (2008) and two-generational analyses with the Swiss Household Panel (1999–2020) support our expectations, indicating that in case of parental separation offspring tends to hold more leftist political orientations, controlling for selection into parental separation and the intergenerational transmission of political ideology. We find empirical support for mechanisms of economic deprivation and single-mother socialization across our analyses. The implications of our findings are that in the family political socialization process, offspring's political orientations are not only influenced by their parents' ideology, but also by formative experiences that result from the family structure.

Navigating adolescent depression and anxiety in the context of parenting plan evaluations

AbstractThis article touches upon theories accounting for the rise in adolescent anxiety and depression and how the prevalence of adolescent anxiety and depression affects how we navigate parenting plan evaluations. This article also discusses the importance of screening youth for depressive and anxious symptoms and assessing family, parental, and youth risk and protective factors related to adolescent depression and anxiety. This article also highlights the importance of assessing for mediating factors that increase the risk of anxiety and depression in youth in the context of parental separation, such as interparental conflict, financial difficulties, and limited contact with one parent. This article also identifies various methods of assessing depression and anxiety, including the adolescent interview, observations during the interview, and self‐report measures. Additionally, this article discusses potential interventions that address mediators of the impact of divorce, such as parenting problems, family conflict, or the parent–child relationship.

A COMPARISON OF EFFICACY OF INTRANASAL FENTANYL AND INTRANASAL DEXMEDETOMIDINE AS PREMEDICATION IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the effects of intranasal fentanyl compared to intranasal dexmedetomidine, when used for relieving pre-operative anxiety in children on the basis of onset and quality of anxiolysis, parental separation, hemodynamic stability, and cooperation to mask holding. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in Government Medical college Kottayam for a period of 12 months from December 2021 to December 2022, randomly assigned a total of 40 pediatric patients (the American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II) in the age group 3–6 years, undergoing elective surgeries requiring general anesthesia who received either intranasal fentanyl (group F) or intranasal dexmedetomidine (group D). Onset and quality of anxiolysis was compared using modified Yale pre-operative anxiety scale. Parental separation score, hemodynamic stability, and cooperation to mask holding were compared. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: Children who received intranasal fentanyl as premedication had better quality and onset of anxiolysis as compared to dexmedetomidine group. In parent-child separation, intranasal fentanyl was found to be better than intranasal dexmedetomidine. Conclusion: We conclude that intranasal fentanyl is superior to intranasal dexmedetomidine in relieving pre-operative anxiety in pediatric population of age 3–6 years.

The main tendencies in the development of judicial practice for resolving disputes regarding the determination of the child’s place of residence

The article is devoted to the main complicated aspects that take place in national judicial practice devoted to resolving disputes between separated parents regarding the determination of the place of residence of their minor child(ren). The author reiterates the necessity to use more flexible approaches in order to resolve disputes about determining the place of residence of a minor child, to improve the practice of resolving such kind of disputes by national courts, the borders of which are currently limited to the use only one variant - determining the place of residence of a minor child with one parent (with the potential contact of the other parent with the child). The author tried to analyze the norms of international acts and legislation of some democratic states, which should be taken into account by national courts upon resolving disputes about determining the place of residence of a minor child. The main trends in resolving disputes on determination of the place of residence of a minor child, which are refl ected in international conventions, general comments and foreign legal framework as in judicial practice are presented. It is recommended to use in judicial practice such additional methods (variants) of resolving disputes between parents about determining the place of residence of their minor child(ren), as joint physical custody with alternate residence of the child in the accommodation of each parent according to the appropriate schedule, or determination child`s habitual residence in accommodation in which the child lived earlier (bird’s nest custody), with alternative presence of parents in this accommodation according to the agreed schedule. It is proposed to improve the approaches to resolve judicial disputes about determination of the place of residence of a minor child, to implement and use, according the circumstances of the case, different methods (models) of resolving this category of disputes. Key words: child’s physical custody, legal disputes between parents, judicial disputes concerning determination of the minor child's place of residence.

Popular post‐separation parenting smartphone apps: An evaluation

AbstractIn recent years a bewildering array of smartphone applications (“apps”) has emerged to support separated parents' communication. Post‐separation parenting apps vary in cost and features; they typically comprise a messaging tool, shared calendar, expense tracker and a means to export records for legal purposes. A key challenge for separated parents and family law practitioners alike is knowing which apps or app feature(s) can work well for different family contexts, needs and budgets. The present study sought to evaluate nine popular post‐separation parenting apps and their features using small‐n Human–Computer Interaction methods. Mediators role‐played high conflict ex‐couples while completing a set of five common post‐separation communication or organizational tasks. A cross‐case analysis of ratings was conducted. We found that (a) many of the mediators changed their apparent enthusiasm for co‐parenting apps once they had used the apps themselves; (b) all nine apps were rated somewhere between “Poor” to Fair’; and (c) features of some of the best‐known apps were not rated as highly as some of the features of more recent, lesser‐known apps.

More than two parents?

More and more children in the Netherlands grow up in stepfamilies and stepparents may play an important role in children’s lives. Stepparents have had relatively few legal rights, yet the strengthening of their legal position – as well as of other parental figures – has been an ongoing public and political issue in Dutch society. Little is known about how parents actually think about parental rights for stepparents. Using large-scale Dutch survey data from 2020, this study described divorced and separated parents’ attitudes toward parental responsibility and legal parenthood of stepparents in stepfamilies. In addition, the study explored how support for these rights depended upon people’s own (step)family situation and the role of conflict in these associations. Results showed that a minority of parents supported legal rights for stepparents. About a third of parents thought that resident stepparents should be able to get partial parental responsibility compared to 8% in favour of full parental responsibility for these stepparents. Support for rights of nonresident stepparents and for legal parenthood of stepparents was lower. Support levels were found to be dependent on parents’ own experiences with stepparenting, particularly in case divorced parents had much conflict with their ex-partner. Parents with full-time resident children and those with a new partner (especially a spouse) were more supportive, whereas parents whose ex-partner had a new partner and family as well as those who had nonresident stepchildren living part time or full time with the ex-partner of their new partner showed less support. Overall, the results suggest that support for establishing legal rights for stepparents is not self-evident among divorced and separated parents and that views on stepparent rights likely differ between different parental figures, even more so in high-conflict situations.

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND RISK OF HYPERTENSION AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS IN CHINA: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY

Objective: Although the association of ACEs with hypertension has been reported in different contexts, the conclusions remain inconsistent, and few studies have investigated the independent role of threat-related and deprivation-related ACEs on later-life hypertension in the general population. We aimed to examine the association between threat-related and deprivation-related ACEs and incident hypertension and to assess whether demographic characteristics (age, sex) and socioeconomic status (education, occupation, and income) could modify these associations. Design and method: This prospective cohort study used data from the baseline survey (year 2011-2012) and follow-up survey (year 2015) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The study population consisted of middle-aged and older adults with complete data on ACEs and two physical assessments and without hypertension at baseline. The associations of 5 threat-related ACEs (ie, physical abuse, household substance abuse, domestic violence, unsafe neighborhood, and bullying) and 5 deprivation-related ACEs (ie, emotional neglect, household mental illness, incarcerated household member, parental separation or divorce, and parental death) with hypertension were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. The cumulative scores of the 2 ACE dimensions were calculated and grouped into 3 categories as 0, 1, and 2 or more in main analyses. Results: Of the 7,912 individuals included, the mean (SD) age was 58.65 (8.65) years and 4018 (50.8%) were men. Compared with no exposures, experience of 2 or more threat-related ACEs was associated with higher risk of hypertension (HR = 1.26 [95% CI, 1.03-1.53)]). In addition, compared with those who experienced no deprivation-related exposures, both experience of 1 and 2 or more deprivation-related exposures were associated with hypertension (HR for 1 exposure: 1.32 [1.09-1.55]; HR for 2 or more exposures: 1.65 [1.15-2.31]). These associations were not significantly modified by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Conclusions: Both threat-related and deprivation-related ACEs were associated with higher risk of later-life hypertension, independent of demographic and socioeconomic factors. These findings highlight importance of in preventing later-life hypertension among individuals who have experienced ACEs.

Adverse childhood experiences and adolescent cannabis use trajectories: findings from a longitudinal UK birth cohort

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are classically defined as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, bullying, parental substance use or abuse, violence between parents, parental mental health problems or suicide, parental separation, or a parent convicted of criminal offence. Exposure to ACEs can be associated with cannabis use, but no comparisons across all adversities have been made while also considering timing and frequency of cannabis use. We aimed to explore the association between ACEs and cannabis use timing and frequency in adolescence, considering the cumulative number of ACEs and individual ACEs. We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a longitudinal UK birth cohort study. Longitudinal latent classes of cannabis use frequency were derived from self-reported data at multiple timepoints in participants aged 13-24 years. ACEs between ages 0 years and 12 years were derived from prospective and retrospective reports at multiple timepoints by parents and the participant. Multinomial regression was used to analyse the effect of both cumulative exposure to all ACEs and the ten individual ACEs on cannabis use outcomes. 5212 participants (3132 [60·0%] were female and 2080 [40·0%] were male; 5044 [96·0%] were White and 168 [4·0%] were Black, Asian, or minority ethnic) were included in this study. After adjustment for polygenic risk and environmental risk factors, participants who had 4 or more ACEs at age 0-12 years were at increased risk of early persisting regular cannabis use (relative risk ratio [RRR] 3·15 [95% CI 1·81-5·50]), later onset regular use (1·99 [1·14-3·74]), and early persisting occasional use (2·55 [1·74-3·73]) compared with low or no cannabis use. After adjustment, early persisting regular use was associated with parental substance use or abuse (RRR 3·90 [95% CI 2·10-7·24]), parental mental health problems (2·02 [1·26-3·24]), physical abuse (2·27 [1·31-3·98]), emotional abuse (2·44 [1·49-3·99]), and parental separation (1·88 [1·08-3·27]) compared with low or no cannabis use. Risks for problematic adolescent cannabis use are highest for individuals reporting 4 or more ACEs, and were particularly raised for those with parental substance use or abuse. Public health measures to address ACEs might reduce adolescent cannabis use. The Wellcome Trust, UK Medical Research Council, Alcohol Research UK.

Revisioning Acrimony: The Development and Validation of Short Scales Measuring Relationship Hostility and Parental Co-Operativity

ABSTRACT In this paper we identify and validate the structure of the acrimony scale and introduce two shorter versions: the AS-18 and the AS-10. Investigations using two large, independent samples of family mediation clients suggest a two-factor solution. We make a theoretical case for distinguishing between acrimony and conflict, and for measuring both acrimony and the capacity for cooperation remaining in a relationship between separated parents. We find that both dimensions can be retained in the shorter versions of the scale, which nevertheless demonstrate good reliability and validity. The subscales for the AS-10 consist of six items measuring “relationship hostility” and four items measuring “parental cooperativity.” These short subscales may be useful in practice and research settings where it is necessary to measure either parental acrimony, potential for cooperation, or both, whilst minimizing respondent burden.

Only Children and Cognitive Ability in Childhood: A Cross‐Cohort Analysis over 50 Years in the United Kingdom

AbstractOnly children's uniqueness has intrigued researchers for decades, but many gaps in knowledge remain as to whether only children differ from children who have siblings. We use data from four British birth cohorts (born in 1946, 1958, 1970, 2000–2002) to investigate cross‐cohort differences in the composition of only child families and whether the association between being an only child and cognitive ability in childhood has changed over time. Only children show similar scores to children from two child families and higher scores than children with two or more siblings across each of the cohorts analyzed. However, the results also show that—consistent with the finding that, across cohorts, the composition of the only child group has become more associated with social disadvantage—the “only child advantage” has weakened when comparing the most recent birth cohort to the older ones. Adjustment by family sociodemographic characteristics attenuates within and cross‐cohort differences. Moreover, the results show that the cognitive advantages associated with being an only child vary considerably by whether the cohort member has been exposed to parental separation or is growing up in a family with lower socioeconomic status. The results highlight diversity in being an only child whose characteristics are conditional on changes throughout time and society.

Romanian early adolescents’ perceptions of parental migration and the associated relational impact: a qualitative analysis

ABSTRACT Previous literature has emphasised the complexities of early children’s perceptions of parental migration based on socio-cultural factors and the associated relational impact due to separation. Until recently, research on transnational families positioned children left behind in the country of origin as passive actors of parental migration, and focused less on children’s relational voice or agency. The present study addressed this gap by qualitatively exploring Romanian early adolescents’ evaluations of their parental separation and parent–child relationship within the context of parental international migration for labour. Further, the current study also assessed how early adolescents navigated these physically distanced relationships. In-depth interviews were conducted in 2017 with 121 participants (62 boys and 59 girls) aged between 10 and 14 years old (M = 12.66, SD = 1.41) from urban public schools from the Northeastern region of Romania. Thematic analysis indicated that while most participants evaluated parental international migration negatively, the majority of participants characterised aspects of their relationships with their migrant parent(s) positively. Further, participants noted that their migrant parents’ emotional and developmental support were key factors for maintaining positive relationships. Findings suggest the importance of exploring children’s perspectives regarding parental migration and the parent–child relationships when the effects of transnational migration are investigated.

Loneliness and Parental Separation: A Narrative Approach

Although a growing body of literature has studied loneliness across the population, the study impact of parental separation on loneliness remains limited. This study aims to understand loneliness among youths who experienced parental separation during their formative years. The subjective nature of loneliness demands an investigative approach that can understand the intricacies of the embodied mind. This study adopts a life course narrative approach to understand loneliness experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from Indian youth. The narrative analysis resulted in the emergence of core categories and themes. The study conceptualizes loneliness in three domains: Individual, relational, and digital. These domains bring together the origination, manifestation, and intensification of loneliness. The life-course narrative reveals that youths with parental separation were experiencing loneliness for years.

The missed pandemic: Intimate partner violence in female mental-health-care-users during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)and interpersonal violence (IPV) in mentally ill women are often neglected andneed to be reviewed in light of the suggested increase in IPV during theCOVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the prevalence ofACEs and IPV in women living with severe mental illness (SMI) attending anoutpatient psychiatry service at a public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, SouthAfrica, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also describedthe association of ACEs with later IPV. A written survey comprising socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire, WHO Adverse Childhood ExperiencesInternational Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) for ACEs and the Women abuse screeningtool (WAST) for IPV, was completed by the 154 women with SMI. 141 (91.6%) participants scoredpositive for ACEs and 104 (67.5%) had experienced three or more ACEs. The mostprevalent forms of ACEs were emotionalneglect 72 (46.8%), one or no parents, parental separation, or divorce 104(67.5%), contact sexual abuse 67 (43.5%) and witnessing a household membertreated violently 67 (43.5%). Sixty-one (46.6%) participants reported IPV withscores 13 (indicative of abuse). On logistic regression,experience of three ormore ACEs was significantly associated with IPV in adulthood (aOR 3.3, 95% CI:1.2-9.6). Thehigh prevalence of IPV and association of IPV with cumulative ACEs reflectfirstly the hidden epidemic of domestic violence and secondly the vulnerabilityof those with ACEs to become victims of abuse later which is often missed in the care of women with SMI.

Median effective dose of esketamine for intranasal premedication in children with congenital heart disease

BackgroundEsketamine is commonly used as a premedication for its sedation effect. However, the proper dosage for intranasal use in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) has not been determined. This study aimed to estimate the median effective dose (ED50) of esketamine for intranasal premedication in children with CHD.MethodsThirty-four children with CHD who needed premedication in March 2021 were enrolled. Intranasal esketamine was initiated at a dose of 1 mg/kg. Based on the outcome of sedation in the previous patient, the dose for the subsequent patient was either increased or reduced by 0.1 mg/kg, which was adjusted between each child. Successful sedation was defined as a Ramsay Sedation Scale score ≥ 3 and Parental Separation Anxiety Scale score ≤ 2. The required ED50 of esketamine was calculated using the modified sequential method. Non-invasive blood pressure, heart rate, saturation of peripheral oxygen, sedation onset time, and adverse reactions were recorded at 5 min intervals after drug administration.ResultsThe 34 children enrolled had a mean age of 22.5 ± 16.4 (4–54) months and a mean weight of 11.2 ± 3.6 (5.5–20.5) kg; American Society of Anesthesiologists classification I–III. The ED50 of intranasal S(+)-ketamine (esketamine) required for preoperative sedation in pediatric patients with CHD was 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.54–0.86) mg/kg, and the mean sedation onset time was 16.39 ± 7.24 min. No serious adverse events, such as respiratory distress, nausea, and vomiting were observed.ConclusionsThe ED50 of intranasal esketamine was 0.7 mg/kg, which was safe and effective for preoperative sedation in pediatric patients with CHD.Trial registration: The trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Network (ChiCTR2100044551) on 24/03/2021.

Identifying Mental Health Profiles Among Adolescents Who Experienced a Recent Parental Deployment or Military-Related Family Separation.

Accessing two independent samples of adolescents in military families in the United States who recently experienced parental separation (N = 573; N = 186), this study sought to identify adolescent mental health profiles indexed on multiple indicators. In other words, we asked how military adolescents fare after parental separation in terms of mental health indicators. Proximal family processes (family cohesion, conflict, and marital adjustment) were also examined in relation to mental health profiles as well as core adolescent outcomes, self-rated health, and school enjoyment. In both samples, three profiles emerged identifying similar structures of mental health profiles. Two-thirds of adolescents were in the lowest risk mental health group. Poor family cohesion and greater conflict were associated with the moderate and highest risk groups. The lowest risk group reported better health and greater school enjoyment. Family nurses and other health care professionals are encouraged to inquire about military connectedness, structural changes occurring within the family system, and family processes in relation to adolescent well-being.

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry and Collision-Induced Unfolding of Designed Bispecific Antibody Therapeutics.

Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) represent a critically important class of emerging therapeutics capable of targeting two different antigens simultaneously. As such, bsAbs have been developed as effective treatment agents for diseases that remain challenging for conventional monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics to access. Despite these advantages, bsAbs are intricate molecules, requiring both the appropriate engineering and pairing of heavy and light chains derived from separate parent mAbs. Current analytical tools for tracking the bsAb construction process have demonstrated a limited ability to robustly probe the higher-order structure (HOS) of bsAbs. Native ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) and collision-induced unfolding (CIU) have proven to be useful tools in probing the HOS of mAb therapeutics. In this report, we describe a series of detailed and quantitative IM-MS and CIU data sets that reveal HOS details associated with a knob-into-hole (KiH) bsAb model system and its corresponding parent mAbs. We find that quantitative analysis of CIU data indicates that global KiH bsAb stability occupies an intermediate space between the stabilities recorded for its parent mAbs. Furthermore, our CIU data identify the hole-containing half of the KiH bsAb construct to be the least stable, thus driving much of the overall stability of the KiH bsAb. An analysis of both intact bsAb and enzymatic fragments allows us to associate the first and second CIU transitions observed for the intact KiH bsAb to the unfolding Fab and Fc domains, respectively. This result is likely general for CIU data collected for low charge state mAb ions and is supported by data acquired for deglycosylated KiH bsAb and mAb constructs, each of which indicates greater destabilization of the second CIU transition observed in our data. When integrated, our CIU analysis allows us to link changes in the first CIU transition primarily to the Fab region of the hole-containing halfmer, while the second CIU transition is likely strongly connected to the Fc region of the knob-containing halfmer. Taken together, our results provide an unprecedented road map for evaluating the domain-level stabilities and HOS of both KiH bsAb and mAb constructs using CIU.

Parental separation and school dropout in adolescence.

To document the association between parental separation and school dropout in adolescence and to examine the factors that may potentially account for this association. Data stem from the large youth@hordaland study that was linked to the Norwegian National Educational Database to obtain objective measures of educational outcomes and disposable income (N = 8323). Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between parental separation and school dropout. A Fairlie post-regression decomposition was used to examine the influence of parental education, household income, health complaints, family cohesion, and peer problems in explaining the association between parental separation and school dropout. Parental separation was associated with a higher odds ratio (OR) of school dropout in crude and adjusted (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)) analyses (OR=2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.90-2.45; AOR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.50-2.00). About 31% of the higher odds of school dropout among adolescents with separated parents was explained by the covariates. The decomposition analysis suggested that parental education (43%) and disposable income (20%) accounted for most of the explained differences in school dropout. Adolescents with separated parents are at higher risk for not completing secondary education. Parental education and disposable income accounted for most of the explained differences in school dropout between the groups. Still, the majority of the difference in school dropout remained unaccounted for, indicating that the link between parental separation and school dropout is complex and likely influenced by multiple factors.

The Effects of Parental Divorce and Separation on Children

The Effects of Parental Divorce and Separation on Children

Risks and benefits of post-separation parenting apps: perceptions of family law professionals in Australia and New Zealand

ABSTRACT Mobile phones have become an essential part of modern family life. Their proliferation has been accompanied by a diverse range of apps, including apps for separated parents. Family law professionals are increasingly being asked about post-separation parenting apps by clients. Yet the empirical evidence about their potential benefits and risks is sparse. The present study draws on qualitative data from an online survey of 344 family law professionals in Australia and New Zealand about their attitudes to co-parenting apps. Three broad potential benefits of co-parenting app functions were identified: accountability, convenience and containment. Drawing on a realist evaluation framework, we find that the same app functions were identified as posing a variety of potential risks, including technology-facilitated abuse, depending on context. We argue that family law professionals need a good understanding of the potential benefits and risks of co-parenting apps, along with the contextual factors that can determine outcomes.

Comparing relationships between single types of adverse childhood experiences and health-related outcomes: a combined primary data study of eight cross-sectional surveys in England and Wales

ObjectivesAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show strong cumulative associations with ill-health across the life course. Harms can arise even in those exposed to a single ACE type but few studies examine...